Randy Kesterson

I've helped over 400 people earn Lean and Six Sigma certifications. But there is one thing that most of them struggle with... How to explain their project results clearly in one slide. Sometimes I'll start at the end of the slide deck to see what the results were... but often I'm struggling to find the final numbers. In some cases, they haven't achieved any results yet, and they're waiting for more data to come through. That's fine, I'll check back with them in a few weeks. But usually there are positive results in the data, such as... ✅ defect reduction ✅ yield improvement ✅ cost savings ✅ lower inventory ✅ lower lead time ✅ increased customer satisfaction ✅ lower downtime ✅ fewer injuries or near misses But these results are buried in the fine print, or I have to click through multiple slides to piece it together. I'll reply back to them... "You hid the most important part of the project!" It's like telling someone about a football game you watched, and forgetting to mention the final score and who won. You've probably seen this happen with your team or at your company. The good news? It's easy to solve. It's just sometimes hard for people to step back and see the big picture, when they've been buried in the details for so long. They want to explain all the findings, analysis and insights they gained. But leadership just wants to know the results. Don't make them struggle to figure it out. I've put together an example of a simple one-page summary with 4 key elements that should be included on this critical slide: 1. Clearly labeled title and axis 2. Before and after vertical line 3. Before and after average lines 4. Key takeaway of the results No more confusion or struggle. Feel free to share!

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Why a Continuous Improvement (CI) Team is Essential in Manufacturing Industries In today’s competitive manufacturing landscape, a dedicated Continuous Improvement team is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Here's why: 1. Drives Operational Efficiency CI teams identify and eliminate waste (lean thinking), reducing cycle times and increasing throughput without additional resources. 2. Boosts Product Quality Through root cause analysis and process standardization, CI ensures defects are minimized and customer satisfaction is maximized. 3. Enhances Employee Engagement Involving frontline workers in improvement initiatives empowers them, creating a culture of ownership and innovation. 4. Promotes Cost Reduction Small, consistent improvements compound over time, leading to significant savings in materials, labor, and rework. 5. Ensures Flexibility and Adaptability CI enables organizations to quickly respond to market demands, regulatory changes, or supply chain disruptions. 6. Data-Driven Decision Making Using tools like Six Sigma, Kaizen, and PDCA cycles, CI teams ensure every action is backed by measurable outcomes. 7. Sustains Long-Term Growth Continuous improvement is not a one-time event—it builds a mindset of excellence that propels long-term success. How CI Teams Work: Analyze current processes Identify improvement opportunities Implement small, iterative changes Measure results Standardize successful changes Repeat the cycle Conclusion: A CI team is the backbone of operational excellence. It keeps manufacturing plants agile, efficient, and competitive in an ever-evolving industry. #Manufacturing #Engineering #Production #IndustrialEngineering #ProcessImprovement #LeanManufacturing #SixSigma #SmartManufacturing #Industry40 #Automation: #ContinuousImprovement #QualityManagement #OperationalExcellence #EngineeringInnovation #ManufacturingExcellence #EfficiencyMatters #Kaizen #TeamWork #LeadershipInManufacturing #SustainableManufacturing

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Mastering Process Control with Nelson’s 8 Rules 📊 Rule 1: One point is more than 3 standard deviations from the mean. Rule 2: Nine (or more) points in a row are on the same side of the mean. Rule 3: Six (or more) points in a row are continually increasing (or decreasing). Rule 4: Fourteen (or more) points in a row alternate in direction, increasing then decreasing. Rule 5: Two (or three) out of three points in a row are more than 2 standard deviations from the mean in the same direction. Rule 6: Four (or five) out of five points in a row are more than 1 standard deviation from the mean in the same direction. Rule 7: Fifteen points in a row are all within 1 standard deviation of the mean on either side of the mean. Rule 8: Eight points in a row exist, but none within 1 standard deviation of the mean, and the points are in both directions from the mean. By applying these rules to control charts, organizations can effectively monitor processes, detect anomalies, and implement corrective actions to ensure consistent quality and performance. #StatisticalProcessControl #SPC #QualityControl #NelsonRules #ProcessImprovement #ManufacturingExcellence #SixSigma #ContinuousImprovement #DataDriven #OperationalExcellence

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Why wait until someone leaves to ask why? Instead of relying solely on exit interviews, consider the power of stay interviews—proactive conversations that uncover what keeps your team engaged, motivated, and committed. By regularly checking in on their experiences, challenges, and aspirations, leaders can foster open communication, address concerns early, and build a culture of retention and trust. #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #StayInterviews #Retention #InspirationalLeadership

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“You know, I have a library full of Toyota books” said the executive in front of me, meaning, “don’t bother, I know all about TPS”. That might have been the case, as the 14 principles from a famous book were quoted by the executive in a blink of an eye. However, this great knowledge somehow didn’t hit the shop floor in a meaningful way, didn’t affect the daily transformation of the product. There was this big gap between what the books were saying and what was happening on the shop floor, even though kaizen was performed, suggestion schemes were in place and 5S ruled. This situation was in striking contrast with another experience of mine. No prerequisite reading of Toyota books, no more big abstract words (see the cartoon), just the Sensei with the teams transforming how the work was done, with immediate improvements and positive results. My take: there’s no substitute for working with a Sensei, no matter how much reading you do, no matter how many Lean visits you do or how many conferences and seminars you attend. Now, having said that, not everybody is in a position to work with a Sensei, so, we can still find good references in books written by practitioners (for example see Art Byrne’s The Lean Turnaround series). What I like about these books, is they explicitly state what was done and how it worked for them “been there, done that”, not in a generic, abstract way, but in a practical one. The advantage is you can easily apply and make your own experiences, which is much better than staying at the theory level or worse, applying the theory the wrong way without realizing it. The books I wrote are based on my continuous improvement employee practice during more than two decades and a half. The upcoming one is no exception. If you’re interested in learning more about my already published books, please see the comments. #lean #leantransformation #continuousimprovement #respectforpeople #leadership #lessonslearned

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Talking with my friend and colleague, Jerzy Fiuk, he made a great point about Lean Tools. I will try to give his thoughts justice: Lean Tools cannot be singularly implemented. All of these tools work together in some fashion. For example, you cannot implement SMED without understanding the impact on your Kanban quantities, lead time, etc. SMED begins and ends with 5S. And what about the notion of Standardization? Visual Controls? Etc. My take: The Lean Consulting industry has packaged these tools to be sold as separate offerings. There are two possible reasons for this: Either the consultant has gross misunderstandings of Lean, or they are attempting to optimize their billable hours. Or maybe both? You would not build a house with one tool at a time. All the tools must work together in unison, and Lean is no different.

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Respect for people-not only a manufacturing principle but a principle of investing in your people. On reading, Jeffrey Liker “The Toyota Way-14 Management Principles from the world’s greatest manufacturer”, I’m finding a whole lot of gems. In his book, Jeffrey definitively but simply details the principles that have brought Toyota success. During the great recession 2008-2009 when businesses were shutting down to balance their cashflow, Toyota used this time to keep the Indiana & Texas plants open by training & investing in their team members. Jeffrey shares a quote from a team leader in reaction to working through the shutdown: “The difference between Toyota and other companies is that instead of forcing us to go on unemployment, they were investing in us. I don’t think there’s one person out there who doesn’t realize what an incredible investment Toyota is making”. As Leaders, it's critically important for us to create the environment where we can protect people from damaging market forces. It's too easy these days, that CEOs pull the "labour" lever to cut costs when the market is down. Not only do we lose good people, but we unsettle the others that remain, waiting for "round 2". I believe Toyota for example got it right from the beginning, aiming to help people better themselves. No wonder, Toyota is known for a company that build people, who build cars.

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